Donjon de Maurepas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The keep of Maurepas
The keep of Maurepas
The keep of Maurepas
The keep of Maurepas

The Donjon de Maurepas is a ruined medieval castle in the town of Maurepas, in the French département of Yvelines (Île de France).

Contents

[edit] History

Since the 8th century, the village of Maurepas (formerly spelled Malrepast) belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Denis. Facing the Normans invasions, they left the domain to the Lords of Chevreuse; the castle was given to the family of Malrepast. A wooden keep was replaced by a stronger castle.

During the Hundred Years' War, the Lords of Malrepast abandoned the castle; it was then used as a haunt by a band of plunderers. In 1425, the English captured and hanged all the occupants of the castle.

The castle was then occupied by Aymon de Massy, who was said to be a particularly cruel person. With Mainguet his companion, he was ransoming people, and some of them were thrown in a well when they couldn’t pay.

In 1432, september 11, the English took the castle to cleanse the area and dismantled it definitly[1].

After the war, the domain of Maurepas returned to the family of Chevreuse, but the castle had remained a ruin.

Today, only the keep, which is 20m high (60 feet), remains on a low motte. A farm leans on the ruins.

The keep has been listed by the French Ministry of Culture as a monument historique since 1926.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Journal d'un Bourgeois de Paris, 1405-1449, by Alexandre Tuetey, after the manuscripts of Rome and Paris, Paris, H. Champion, 1881

[edit] See also


[edit] External links